I've been up and down the weight loss roller coaster all my life. I've tried every diet plan and diet drink and diet food....and finally learned that it's going to take HEALTHY FOOD, good attitude, and lots more exercise to not only lose the weight but keep it off.... I guess the older one gets, the smarter one gets!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I need to keep this list handy so that anytime I feel frustrated and wanting to give up, I can see how lucky my body is ...

I've been up and down the weight loss roller coaster all my life. I've tried every diet plan and diet drink and diet food....and finally learned that it's going to take HEALTHY FOOD, good attitude, and lots more exercise to not only lose the weight but keep it off.... I guess the older one gets, the smarter one gets!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I need to keep this list handy so that anytime I feel frustrated and wanting to give up, I can see how lucky my body is that it's not carrying around all this extra baggage!

WHAT WEIGHS......... 1 pound = a Guinea Pig 1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts 2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs 3 pounds = an average human brain 4 pounds = an ostrich egg 5 pounds = a Chihuahua 6 pounds = a human�s skin 7.5 pounds = an average newborn 8 pounds = a human head 10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year 11 pounds = an average housecat 12 pounds = a Bald Eagle 15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs 16 pounds = a sperm whale�s brain 20 pounds = an automobile tire 23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year 24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream 25 pounds = an average 2 year old 30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year 33 pounds = a cinder block 36 pounds = a mid-size microwave 40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg 44 pounds = an elephant�s heart 50 pounds = a small bale of hay 55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner 60 pounds = an elephant�s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!) 66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year 70 pounds = an Irish Setter 77 pounds = a gold brick 80 pounds = the World�s Largest Ball of Tape 90 pounds = a newborn calf 100 pounds = a 2 month old horse 111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year 117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she�s 5�11�) 118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica 120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month 130 pounds = a newborn giraffe 138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year 140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year 144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she�s 5�4�) 150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary 187 pounds = an average adult man 200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds 235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger 300 pounds = an average football lineman 400 pounds = a Welsh pony

***************************************************** 10 Things I Have Learned On My One-Year Anniversary

Today is my anniversary and I have learned the following during my one year on SparkPeople:

1. Losing weight is hard! 2. Being fat is harder! 3. I rather be fit and healthy than fat and unhappy. 4. Giving up is not a good option. 5. Set backs are inevitable. 6. Overcoming setbacks can make your stronger (if it doesn't kill you- just kidding.) 7. Stay in the game long enough and eventually you will hit a plateau. 8. Pushing harder doesn't always yield the best results. 9. Listen to your body and take a break when you need to. 10. Reach out to at least one person everyday on SparkPeople. (Friends or strangers, it doesn't matter.) It helps and keeps me accountable. Thank you Zenwoman for this list!

My Goals:
My main goal is to eat as healthy as possible..if I do, I know the weight will naturally come off. This is not a DIET (bad 4 letter word) but choice to improve my life. 20 lb. by Halloween (met it!) 25 lb. by Thanksgiving (met it!) 30 by Christmas (met it!) 35 by Valentines Day 2009 (met it!) 45 by May 1(met it) took the summer off to practice maintenance 50 Nov. 1 (met it) 55 Dec. 1 60 by Feb. 1 (2010) 65 by April 1 72 by June 1

My Program:
I am creating my own nutrition plans keeping in mind low sodium, healthy fats, whole grains, and as many fruits and veggies as I can (and of course my 8 glasses of water) I am also slowly easing into an exercise plan of daily walking and now some stretching and strength training .

Personal Information:
I'm a retired teacher from Eau Claire Wisconsin, a beautiful city surrounded by rivers, lakes and trees. We have a lake home about 40 miles away where we spend as much time as possible. I'm married to a wonderful man and have 3 grown married children...no grand kids yet, but we're hoping soon! I have a little black dog who we rescued a few years back from the animal shelter. Her name is Betty and she is the best exercise motivator in the world...she Loves to walk! Just adopted another shelter dog...Franky (the frankfurter) a 2 year old dachshund. Life is even more exciting now!

Other Information:
I'm also a former librarian and love to read and listen to audio tapes. I love to cook and eat Ethnic meals, garden, knit, quilt, and make cards and scrapbooks.

Beautiful Woman Award! Once you've been given this award, you have to paste it on the wall of 8 women who deserve it. If you receive more than 3, you know you're really beautiful! If you break the chain, nothing will happen, but it's always good to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside and out"